2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lewanski
A Polish surname derived from the place name Lewany or derived from the Polish words lew (lion) and ski (suffix denoting origin or place of residence).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Lewanski. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lewanski surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Lewanski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewanski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lewanski
The surname Lewanski is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Polish word "lew" which means lion, and the suffix "-ski" which is a territorial designation indicating the place of origin or residence. The name likely originated in the regions of Masovia and Lesser Poland, where it was commonly used to identify individuals who lived near or owned land near areas associated with the lion symbol or coat of arms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lewanski surname appears in the 1389 Tczew land records, where a nobleman named Jan Lewanski is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already gained prominence among the Polish nobility by the late 14th century. Another early reference can be found in the 1412 Kalisz court records, where a merchant named Piotr Lewanski is documented as a participant in a legal dispute.
The Lewanski surname can also be found in several historical manuscripts and chronicles from the 15th and 16th centuries. For instance, the 1476 Poznań Chronicle mentions a knight named Jakub Lewanski who fought in the Battle of Chocim against the Ottoman Empire. Similarly, the 1528 Kraków Annals record the exploits of a prominent burgher named Marcin Lewanski, who served as a city councilor and played a significant role in the city's affairs during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Lewanski surname. One such figure was Jan Lewanski (1537-1603), a Renaissance poet and playwright who gained recognition for his satirical works and contributions to Polish literature. Another prominent figure was Stanisław Lewanski (1680-1745), a military commander who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and participated in numerous campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and Sweden.
In the 19th century, Józef Lewanski (1823-1897) was a renowned painter and art professor who taught at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts. His works, depicting landscapes and rural scenes, were widely celebrated and influenced the development of Polish realist art.
Towards the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, the Lewanski surname gained international recognition through the achievements of Helena Lewanska (1871-1942), a Polish-American scientist and inventor. She is best known for her contributions to the development of the early telephone and for patenting several inventions related to telecommunications technology.
While these are just a few examples, the Lewanski surname has a rich history spanning centuries and has been associated with various notable individuals across various fields, reflecting the diverse and prominent heritage of this Polish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lewanski
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewanski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lewanski bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lewanski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lewanski
Lewanski appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,043 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-20 bearers (-16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,043 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.8%) | Down 15,848 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lewanski surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #140,157 | #156,005 | -11.3% |
| Count | 119 | 99 | -16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lewanski bearers went from 119 to 99 (-16.8% change). The surname moved down 15,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #156,005.
FAQ
Lewanski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lewanski?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Lewanski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Lewanski?
Lewanski ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99 people with the surname Lewanski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lewanski.
Has Lewanski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lewanski went from 119 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Lewanski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lewanski, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lewanski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lewanski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lewanski (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lewanski mean?
A Polish surname derived from the place name Lewany or derived from the Polish words lew (lion) and ski (suffix denoting origin or place of residence). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lewanski (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Lewanski?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.